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Avirans
Avirans, one of the more enigmatic races on Esk, have drifted almost entirely into myth and folklore; many Avirans, in fact, have no idea that their race exists. In response to the threat of Nynan and the arrival of the humans, Avirans the world over have lost power and memory to an enchantment which few are strong enough to escape. Currently, most of the Aviran race is scattered throughout the continent. Description Average Height: '''Variable '''Average Weight: '''Variable '''Life Expectancy: Natural life expectancy unlimited 'Classification: '''Shapeshifter '''Homeland: '''Variable, Avir's Rest Avirans can take any shape they wish, even inanimate objects. Their true form is largely mysterious: some have called it "a shapeless blob of goo." Awakened Avirans have a difficult time understanding beauty because they have little foundation to base it upon, due to their ability to imitate practically anything perfectly. They tend to value complexity more than aesthetics as they view the aesthetic values of the other races as arbitrary and easily attainable. History and Lore The Avirans have always been a strange and exotic people, ever since their creation by Tolna, the being commonly identified with the North Wind. Avir was the first of their number, which is why they called themselves Avirans. When the humans arrived in 3000, the Avirans approached them out of curiosity, against the will of the Salmak. However, the Avirans never revealed themselves, blending in with them and studying them up close. While studying them, they learned of the creature now called Nynan. They tried to warn the other races, but it was too late. The influence of Nynan caused many Avirans to turn into ravenous beasts and attack others. In 3001, after Nynan and Imtelor had both disappeared, the Avirans helped the Clearers hunt down and kill many of those beasts. It is unknown if any still survive, but it is possible that some escaped. In 2100, Avir noticed that many Avirans were affected badly by immortality. Some became very depressed, others became arrogant, and still others went mad. In order to combat this, Avir and all the Aviran elders cast a powerful enchantment that caused all the Avirans to lose their memories every hundred years, except for those who cast the enchantment. Then, Avir and the elders merged with one another to become what is known as the Nest. At the end of an Aviran's thousand year life-span, it returns to the Nest and becomes one with it. In this way, all the knowledge the Avirans gain is not wasted. The Nest also gives birth to new Avirans, at the rate of one every year. Little was heard about the Avirans after this time, and the world moved on. Most people consider them to be a legend, but they are quite real. Humans report sightings of them from time to time, but such reports are generally laughed at by the people in charge. Facts ● Avirans can suffer from “Shifting Sickness,” caused by consuming too many foreign forms (since their nature causes them to house a "copy" of their imitations within their minds). This causes their form to become unstable, and in severe cases, Avirans can become stuck in a form. There is no cure, though the Dunweed plant has been known to mitigate its effects. ● Avirans often do not know what or who they are, only knowing that they possess strange powers. A few Avirans have traveled far away from the Nest, succeeding in loosening the hold of its memory enchantment. These Avirans are known as “awakened.” Awakened Avirans tend toward melancholy, arrogance, and insanity. ● Avirans tend to be curious but cautious, observing events while disguised. Many groups employ them as spies. ● The human town of Everest is built over an ancient Aviran ruin. It is believed the area was originally known as “Avir's Rest.” ● When corrupted by black crystal, Avirans become ravenous beasts. Aviran mages are the most dangerous asset Nynan can possess. ● Avirans can communicate with one another telepathically, but only if they touch. If an Aviran does this to someone of another race, the other person will be unable to understand. Side effects of this kind of contact include headaches, nosebleeds, catatonia, and in rare cases, brain hemorrhages. ● A legend says that if you find the Nest and prove that you are worthy, you can ask it any question, and it will answer truthfully. After Tolna's Betrayal Some millennia after the Humans' arrival on Esk, people began discovering Shards of Imtelor's body. These Shards granted great and terrible power to their Bearers—immense knowledge, destructive power, and the capacity to create, among others. Unsurprisingly, factions sprang up determined to acquire all the pieces, become God, and rule the world. One of these groups, later known as Krevlek's Companions, encountered the Aviran Nest in their travels. The Companions and the Nest were at odds, and in the ensuing fight, the Nest was greatly damaged, causing the spontaneous awakening of every Aviran on the planet. Some weathered the onslaught; others died; and still others lost their minds, transforming into beasts reminiscent of Nynan's monsters. Among the casualties was the integrity of the Nest itself. Jacob Goodwill, himself an Aviran and an itinerant priest of the Draconian Accord, used powerful magic to "seal" the Nest into seven separate parts. Though the charm wasn't permanent, the effects were drastic enough that reintegration was soon realized to be impossible. Consequently, the Nest now outputs seven new Avirans each year. It is unclear if the Seven interact peacefully or have differing agendas. Avirans from different Fathers have difficulty in their telepathy due to their separate origins. It is still technically possible, but they can never achieve the seamless integration their forebears could. Avirans who predate the Schism suffer no such difficulty. Aviran Reproduction Because of the Schism, all Avirans are now awakened (except some particular few whose minds are still locked for different reasons). With their awakening comes immortality, power, and more than a little pride. Their newfound powers have led to rapid discovery—notably, that Avirans are capable of reproducing ''themselves on their own through a process similar to mitosis. When an Aviran grows old, it reaches a point of mental saturation: a "critical mass" of life experience. This can cause discomfort, megalomania, and madness. To avoid it, Avirans can force themselves to split in two, bestowing a lifetime of memories on each half of itself. The "father" Aviran—the one with the memory of splitting—explains the events to the "offspring" Aviran, and the two part ways. Avirans may also interbreed with other species. Since Avirans' bodies are true copies, rather than simple imitations, they may produce children native to the species. The resultant offspring, known as Kou-Venoth, will belong to the imitated race, but have some interesting quirks. For instance, if an Aviran Salmak mates with a Salmak, the child will be a Kou-Venoth Salmak. He will possess limited shapeshifting ability and will be able to "hear" Aviran touch-telepathy; however, his own touch-telepathy can only produce emotions. Sometimes, Avirans in imitated forms will mate with each other. If the Aviran mother chooses to carry the baby to term (Aviran abortion is frighteningly easy, and occurs by accident in some cases), the child will be a "Sileyd-Venoth." Sileyd-Venoth have the same abilities as Kou-Venoth, though slightly stronger. Yemai-yedah ("Griefborn") In some cases, Avirans have self-split for the express purpose of becoming better people or escaping awful memories. The process is simple, though time-consuming and painful; the Aviran collects all its negative memories, dumps them into a portion of itself, and splits away from the creature containing the negative memories. Sometimes, they will murder the resultant creature out of misplaced compassion, not willing to let the manifestation of all their nightmares live. However, in some cases, they cannot bring themselves to do it, and merely abandon the creature. These resultant creatures have a name in Old Vaer, "Yemai-yedah" (idiomatically, "foul shadow"), but they are more commonly known by their slang name: Griefborn. Griefborn rarely understand their peculiar nature, as they do not recall being ripped from their Fathers. Generally, they are embittered and hateful, owing to the fact that all their retained memories are awful. The only distantly pleasant memories they have from before their split are constructs which their minds assumed. For instance, a Griefborn may remember having a wife, but this is only because he remembers her dying; his brain has filled in her existence from the memories which it has already. Griefborn live with a constant, desperate need for approval and a perpetual feeling of hollowness. Some retain misplaced memories of a former life, and in some cases even bits of their Father's new one, since it is difficult to disentangle all memories fully. This has been known to cause schizophrenia and homocidal tendencies. Griefborn-making is deeply frowned upon by Aviran Elders. Aviran law expressly forbids it, but such a command is difficult to enforce; more often, it is recommended that Avirans desiring to reproduce do so fairly, with an equal split between happiness and pain. If a Griefborn is accidentally produced, it must be killed. Of course, this command is rarely followed; having just expelled awful memories, few Avirans are ruthless enough to murder something that was once their own flesh and mind. Racial Bonuses Special Ability: Shapeshifting *Receive half of the attribute bonuses of their current form's race (e.g. -- Vardok => +5 intelligence, +2.5 precision) Category:Races of Esk